The heart of the matter

What does Kevin Pietersen really want? Andrew Miller goes to the heart of the question and finds a simple answer: like a lot of us, he merely wants to be loved.

The countdown to the English summer has begun and we warm up to the job by introducing a weekly column on county cricket, once the nursery for the world game, but now English cricket's favourite scapegoat, by Lawrence Booth, who writes regularly in the Guardian and occasionally on Cricinfo. Booth starts with a lament about the diminishing coverage of domestic cricket in newspapers, but ends with hope. A new saviour is at hand: the web.

Topicality was the last thing on Sidharth Monga's mind when he got Mark Greatbatch to chat about his monumental match-saving innings against Australia in Perth in 1988-89 (655 minutes, 435 balls, 146 not out). But the piece became instantly relevant when Gautam Gambhir put up his own marathon (643 minutes, 436 deliveries, 137 runs) to save India the Napier Test.

And here's a piece that I wish had been published on Cricinfo. Apart from his intellect and rigour, the thing I find most remarkable about Mike Atherton is his ability to look at the time he spent as an English player with dispassionate objectivity. He writes here with candour about his own Lewis Hamilton moment in 1994, when he was fined for lying to the match referee.

Mr Bal, I am looking forward to the print edition of the magazine, being reintroduced in the market. Cricinfo Asia was the best cricket magazine anywhere one would like to compare it. Also, if the magazine is reintroduced, then it will have to go through a teething period in terms of it's distribution channels. I hope to see the magazine soon on the stands.

fanedlive
on April 7, 2009, 3:32 GMT

sambit would love to hear your thought on the SRK \gavaskar thing ok i always hate IPL and will continue to do so moments like rahul dravid taking catch no 182 is what keeps interested in cricket compared to football,back to point what do u think given that gavaskar has such a tender ego all spats with ponting etc now to be told by an actor that "its his money his team " and being told of lack of t20 expertise shows where IPL is heading first dravid then laxman then ganguly now gavaskar have had to take barbs from "people have money " is this what IPL means ....??? please dont compare EPL to IPL at all even there players may get mey get huge money but there is trickle down effect like world class academies by man utd arsenal i some how cant see"people who have money investing "in these kind of things i am sorry maybe i am bitter but in era where pink slips are being handed over little bit of perspective always helps spending 5K to 10K on match thats not exactly federer nadal well!!

fanedlive
on April 7, 2009, 2:01 GMT

I must say I really appreciate this part of your blog where you round up the best articles from the past week. I do miss out some articles even though I spend a lot of time on your site (and I don't call it wasting :-) ).
Personally, I also felt the last couple of entries in Siddharth Monga's tour diary were brilliant, as was the interview with an Afghan cricketer. I suppose they'll get a mention next week.

fanedlive
on April 6, 2009, 23:19 GMT

You aptly summed up what i think of Atherton. He seems one of those ex-cricketers who doesn't go cite incidents from his career for blowing his own trumpet ( a la Boycott, Ranatunga and many others).

It would be good if you can get someone to write fortnightly about domestic cricket in other countries to on a fortnightly/monthly basis like Lawrence Booth. It would be of enormous help to many readers who might find it too difficult to surf through individual country websites. And by the way, your latest way to keep in touch with readers is fantastic. And the post-match discussions are great idea. You guys are getting more attractive by the day and forcing me to waste more time on your site :-)

fanedlive
on April 7, 2009, 8:03 GMT

Mr Bal, I am looking forward to the print edition of the magazine, being reintroduced in the market. Cricinfo Asia was the best cricket magazine anywhere one would like to compare it. Also, if the magazine is reintroduced, then it will have to go through a teething period in terms of it's distribution channels. I hope to see the magazine soon on the stands.

fanedlive
on April 7, 2009, 3:32 GMT

sambit would love to hear your thought on the SRK \gavaskar thing ok i always hate IPL and will continue to do so moments like rahul dravid taking catch no 182 is what keeps interested in cricket compared to football,back to point what do u think given that gavaskar has such a tender ego all spats with ponting etc now to be told by an actor that "its his money his team " and being told of lack of t20 expertise shows where IPL is heading first dravid then laxman then ganguly now gavaskar have had to take barbs from "people have money " is this what IPL means ....??? please dont compare EPL to IPL at all even there players may get mey get huge money but there is trickle down effect like world class academies by man utd arsenal i some how cant see"people who have money investing "in these kind of things i am sorry maybe i am bitter but in era where pink slips are being handed over little bit of perspective always helps spending 5K to 10K on match thats not exactly federer nadal well!!

fanedlive
on April 7, 2009, 2:01 GMT

I must say I really appreciate this part of your blog where you round up the best articles from the past week. I do miss out some articles even though I spend a lot of time on your site (and I don't call it wasting :-) ).
Personally, I also felt the last couple of entries in Siddharth Monga's tour diary were brilliant, as was the interview with an Afghan cricketer. I suppose they'll get a mention next week.

fanedlive
on April 6, 2009, 23:19 GMT

You aptly summed up what i think of Atherton. He seems one of those ex-cricketers who doesn't go cite incidents from his career for blowing his own trumpet ( a la Boycott, Ranatunga and many others).

It would be good if you can get someone to write fortnightly about domestic cricket in other countries to on a fortnightly/monthly basis like Lawrence Booth. It would be of enormous help to many readers who might find it too difficult to surf through individual country websites. And by the way, your latest way to keep in touch with readers is fantastic. And the post-match discussions are great idea. You guys are getting more attractive by the day and forcing me to waste more time on your site :-)

No featured comments at the moment.

fanedlive
on April 6, 2009, 23:19 GMT

You aptly summed up what i think of Atherton. He seems one of those ex-cricketers who doesn't go cite incidents from his career for blowing his own trumpet ( a la Boycott, Ranatunga and many others).

It would be good if you can get someone to write fortnightly about domestic cricket in other countries to on a fortnightly/monthly basis like Lawrence Booth. It would be of enormous help to many readers who might find it too difficult to surf through individual country websites. And by the way, your latest way to keep in touch with readers is fantastic. And the post-match discussions are great idea. You guys are getting more attractive by the day and forcing me to waste more time on your site :-)

fanedlive
on April 7, 2009, 2:01 GMT

I must say I really appreciate this part of your blog where you round up the best articles from the past week. I do miss out some articles even though I spend a lot of time on your site (and I don't call it wasting :-) ).
Personally, I also felt the last couple of entries in Siddharth Monga's tour diary were brilliant, as was the interview with an Afghan cricketer. I suppose they'll get a mention next week.

fanedlive
on April 7, 2009, 3:32 GMT

sambit would love to hear your thought on the SRK \gavaskar thing ok i always hate IPL and will continue to do so moments like rahul dravid taking catch no 182 is what keeps interested in cricket compared to football,back to point what do u think given that gavaskar has such a tender ego all spats with ponting etc now to be told by an actor that "its his money his team " and being told of lack of t20 expertise shows where IPL is heading first dravid then laxman then ganguly now gavaskar have had to take barbs from "people have money " is this what IPL means ....??? please dont compare EPL to IPL at all even there players may get mey get huge money but there is trickle down effect like world class academies by man utd arsenal i some how cant see"people who have money investing "in these kind of things i am sorry maybe i am bitter but in era where pink slips are being handed over little bit of perspective always helps spending 5K to 10K on match thats not exactly federer nadal well!!

fanedlive
on April 7, 2009, 8:03 GMT

Mr Bal, I am looking forward to the print edition of the magazine, being reintroduced in the market. Cricinfo Asia was the best cricket magazine anywhere one would like to compare it. Also, if the magazine is reintroduced, then it will have to go through a teething period in terms of it's distribution channels. I hope to see the magazine soon on the stands.